SPRINGDALE, Wis. – In a campaign season dominated by mudslinging, Jon Aleckson, candidate for the open 50th Assembly District seat, is taking a different path. His campaign has mailed a tabloid
IMG_4509.JPGentitled “Restore Wisconsin”, to 28,000 homes across Green County and southwestern Dane County.
The four-page, full-color, newspaper-style “Pre-Election Reference Guide,” lays out who Aleckson is, what he believes and exactly what he plans to do, without a single attack on an opponent. “Neighbors can disagree about plenty,” Aleckson writes in the guide. “But we still help each other bale hay, coach Little League and pack in together at the local Friday fish fry. The Legislature could learn from that.”
“It occurred to me,” Aleckson said, “that campaigns can be confusing with information coming in bits and pieces via ads, mailings, interviews, door dropped materials, yard signs and the like. We decided to put our ideas together in a readable format so people can see everything in one space. We hope this guide is helpful in understanding our campaign. It also represents how I will conduct my relationship with citizens as their legislator. Access to information, our actions, and our results.”
A pledge of civility. Civility is one of the guide’s five pillars, alongside affordable housing, smarter schools, stronger farms and a robust economy. Aleckson pledges to listen first, with listening sessions in every corner of the district; work across the aisle; “debate ideas, not people”; and explain his major votes in plain language. “Civility isn’t weakness,” he writes. “It’s how grown-ups get things done.”
Key stories in the guide
• Dealing with the housing crisis affecting first time homebuyers and seniors. He also proposes doubling the Homestead Credit and seniors’ eligibility. Next, he will fight for a constitutional amendment to freeze property taxes for eligible seniors. “Far too many seniors in Wisconsin have had to prematurely leave their homes because of rising property taxes,” he said. He also will fight to provide more starter home for young adults trying to start families.
• Preparing students for the age of artificial intelligence that is already drastically changing the job prospects to well-paid skills-based employment. Drawing on 24 years leading Web Courseworks, his Wisconsin educational software company, Aleckson calls for two equally respected student paths in every high school, the traditional college prep and greatly expanded skills-based careers, and paid summer training for teachers who will now implement new skills-based training.
• Keeping family farms alive and prosperous. Wisconsin’s dairy herds have fallen from about 9,700 a decade ago to 5,115 at the start of 2025. Aleckson proposes a Farmers Health Care Task Force, “farm gate” sales of eggs, meat, cheese and produce directly to neighbors, and a farm-link program that matches retiring farmers with young ones. Most importantly, Jon is supporting farmer group health insurance with private association.
• Rules for data centers. Aleckson wants data centers to pay the full cost of the power they need, with none of it landing on household electric bills. He also calls for public disclosure of deals, closed-loop water-recycling cooling that prevents impacting local surface and well water, and keeping data centers off prime farmland. Also, the local government needs an important say in any proposed data center.
Who is Jon Aleckson?
Aleckson holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from UW–Madison. He and his wife Mary live on 17 acres in the Town of Springdale near Mount Horeb, where they are restoring native prairie and oak woods. They have been members of St. Francis Catholic Church for 37 years, and they have three children and five grandchildren.
“I’m not a career politician,” Aleckson says. “I’ll serve a few terms, focus on results and come home.” He promises to be an “activist legislator” who writes bills, builds coalitions and reports back on what passed and why.
The guide even includes a District 50 crossword puzzle, a light touch the campaign says reflects its tone. Aleckson is endorsed by former Governor Tommy Thompson and U.S. Senator Ron Johnson, and supported by the family of former Assemblyman Rick Skindrud.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. In-person early voting is open now.
